carlson



(No Model.) 2 Sheets.Shee t-2. L. H. GARLSON.

. GRAPPLBJ No. 574,133. Patented Dec. 29, 1896'.

NITED STATES .ATENT FFICE.

G RAP'PLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,133, dated December29, 1896.

Application filed April 14, 1896. Serial No. 5 87,490. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LARS HENNING CARL- SON, of Lorain, county of Lorain,State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGrapples, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to produce an improved grapple whichconsists substantially in a pair of tongs with mechanism for expandingthem in locations inaccessible to manual operation or under conditionswhich prohibit manual operation.

My invention is especially adapted for lifting ingots in and out ofsoaking-pits, but it may also be employed for a variety of otherpurposes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is an edge view of my tongssuspended with the handle in the elevated position. Fig. II is a similarView with the handle at right'angles to the tongs. Fig. III is a frontelevation of the tongs in the closed position. Fig. IVis a similar viewwith the tongs expanded to the widest limit by a turn of the handle inone direction. Fig. V is a similar view with the tongs expanded by aturn of the handle in the opposite direction. Fig. VI is a transversesection of Fig. II, taken just above the handle and looking toward thehandle, showing the handle-support, and in dotted lines the change ofposition of the handle-supportin g arms when the tongs are expanded bythe rotation of the handle, as indicated in Fig. V.

Referring to the figures on the drawings, 1 indicates the lever end, and2 the grapple end, of each member of my tongs proper, which arepivotally united in the usual manner, as by a bolt or pin 3. Theextremity of each of the levers 1 is secured to the respective ends of achain or the like 4. This chain is provided with a hanging ring 5, bywhich the tongs may be raised and lowered and which, through the tensionproduced upon the chain by the weight of the tongs and their load, tendsto keep the grapple ends 2 closed with a force proportionate to theweight of the tongs and their load. The ring 5 may be attached to anysuitable elevating mechanism (not illustrated) adapted to raise andlower it or to transport it from place to place.

6 and 7 indicate the respective members of a toggle-joint, which arepivotally united to the respective levers 1, as indicated at 8 and 9,respectively, and to each other, as indicated at 10. The length of themembers 6 and 7 is such as to cause them to maintain an angle withrespect to each other at the farthest limit of expansion of the leversl, in consequence whereof they constitute a permanent supporting elementfor a kind of arm or pitman 11, that is pivotally united, to bothmembers, being preferably carried between the members at their junctionupon their pivotpin 10. The arm 11 is preferably curved at its lower endand is pivotally united, as indicated at 12, to an eccentric oscillatorymember13. The member 13 is preferably diskshaped, the connection 12between it and the arm 11 being near its margin. It is fixed to an axle14, that is movably mounted intwo arms 15, that are secured uponopposite sides of the tong members, as by the pin 3, and which, inbearings at the opposite ends of the axle 14, support it in anoscillatory manner.

It is apparent that the oscillation of the disk 13 will increase ordiminish, as'the case may be, the distance between the points 3 and 10,and that as those points approach each other the toggle-joint, composedof the members 6 and 7, forces the levers 1 apart and expands thegrapple ends 2, while, on the contrary, as the points '3 and 10 recedefrom each other the contrary effect is produced. By this means thegrapples may be opened to receive and adjusted to a load, as, forexample, an ingot, so that when adjusted the ingot may be lifted by theaid of the chain 4, or, after having been lifted or transported, it maybe separated from the tongs by expanding them and exerting a liftingforce upon the chain 4.

It will be perceived from the foregoing description that any means maybe employed for rotating the shaft 15 and that the simplest means willbe serviceable for that purpose, while the tongs are heated by contactwith hot metal, or where they are located, so that they cannot bereadily manipulated. As suggested at the outset, however, I propose touse my tongs especially under conditions which compel them to be usedupon a different level than that on which the operator stands. For

that reason I prefer to employ the particular mechanism for oscillatingthe shaft 1-i that is shown in the drawings. lhat mechanism consists ofa rod 16, preferably provided at its outer extremity with a handle 17,and which is united to the axle 14 by a universal joint, such, forexample, as the gimbal-joint 19 illustrated. I prefer also to em ploy inconnection with the rod i6 guide-rods 20, loosely secured at theiropposite ends to the levers 1, being fastened, preferably, to thepivotpins 8 and 9, which secure them to the members 6 and '7,respectively. The guide-rods are loosely secured at their opposite endsto the opposite sides of the collar or sleeve 20, as indicated at 21,the sleeve encircling the rod and allowing the free and independentmovement thereof within it.

By aid of the mechanism described the tongs may be operated when thehandle is in the horizontal position illustrated in Fig. II, or it maybe operated when the tongs are elevated or depressed to a high or lowlevel, the former condition being illustrated in Fig. I of the drawings.

\Vhat I claim is 1. The combination with a pair of tong"- levers andtheir pivot, of the two members of a toggle-joint, pivotally united toeach other and to the tong members, respectively, and of a lengthsufiicient to cause them to maintain an an gle with respect to eachother at the farthest limit of expansion of the tonglevers,anoscillatory member operatively c011- nected with the tong-levers, an armpivotally united to the pivot-pin of the toggle-joint members, andeccentrically pivoted to the oscillatory member, and means for impartingmotion to the oscillatory member, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

The combination with a pair of touglevers and their pivot, of a pair oftogglejoint members pivotally united to each other, and to thetong-levers, respectively, arms loosely secured at one end to the pivotwhich unites the tong-levers, an oscillatory member pivotally secured tosaid arms between the tong-pivot and the toggle-joint pivot, and an armeecentrically pivoted to the oscillatory member at one end and pivotallyunited at the other end to the toggle-joint pivot-pin, and means foractuating the oscillatory member, substantially as set forth.

The combination with a pair of tonglevers and their pivot, of a pair oftogglejoint members pivotally united to each other and to thetong-levers, respectively, an oscillatory member pivotally confinedbetween the tong-lever pivot and toggle-joint pivot, an armeccentrically pivoted to the oscillatory member and pivoted to thetoggle-joint pivot, and means for actuating the oscillatory member,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a pair of tonglevers and their pivot, of a pairof togglejoint members, pivotally united to each other and to thetong-levers, respectively, arms movably secured at one end to the pivotwhich unites the tong-levers, and pivotally supportin g at theiropposite ends an oscillatory memher, and a curved arm eceentrieallypivoted to the oscillatory member at one end, and pivotally united atthe other end to the pivotpin of the toggle-joint members, and means foractuating the oscillatory member, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of all which I have hereunto subscribed my name.

LABS IIENNING CARLSON.

Witnesses:

GEo. S. GLITSET, W. G. BLrss.

